Pineapple Cultivation problems in Malaysia: Heart Rot, Sunburn and Low Fruit Grade

Pineapples are emerging as one of the most promising fruits for exportation in Malaysia.

As of 2024, pineapple production in Malaysia reached about 525,000 metric tonnes, with more than half the pineapple production concentrated in Johor alone. With the pineapple industry continuing to grow as a high-value crop, particularly the MD2 variety, growers are now placing greater emphasis on producing high-quality, Premium Grade fruit to meet market demand and increase potential yield returns.

In this article, let's take a look at some of the most common issues faced in pineapple growing, and how you can use nutrition-based solutions to target these problems.

Pineapple Heart Rot

Why it happens:

Pineapple heart rot is caused by Phytophthora, a soil-borne oomycete that can produce zoospores which swim in water using tail-like flagella. They thrive in wet soils where water accumulates and are attracted to root exudates secreted by pineapples. Once they make contact with the roots, they germinate and infect the plant.

Figure 1: Phytophthora spp. zoospores are attracted to and swim towards pineapple roots during wet conditions.

Signs and symptoms:

Here are some ways to spot pineapple heart rot in your plantation:

1. Heart rot: The basal part of the youngest leaves on the plant show soft rotting and are very easily pulled out. In severe cases the rotting may spread up the fruit peduncle and cause fruit rot.

2. Root rot: Infected plant roots will undergo rotting and cause the plant to be easily pulled out from the ground.

3. Leaf yellowing: Plant growth may be stunted and leaves will undergo yellowing or browning.

Figure 2: Symptoms of pineapple heart rot: heart rot (1), root necrosis (2) and leaf chlorosis (3).  

Prevention:

One of the main ways to prevent this disease is by managing environmental conditions to limit your plants’ exposure to Phytophthora. Build raised beds and drains so that water does not collect within the topsoil. Sanitize equipment and materials regularly between uses to prevent cross-contamination, and remove infected plant residue from the field to prevent inoculation in non-infested areas.

You may also prevent this disease by making your plants harder to infect even when exposure does happen. This can be done by strengthening the plant defense system so that they can respond better against Phytophthora attacks. You can stimulate your plant defense systems by using potassium phosphite, such as AgroBridge's AB Phos. Formulated with 41.7% P₂O₅ and 27.8% K₂O, AB Phos stimulates the release of defense chemicals to keep your plants in a heightened state of immunity and ready to respond against any Pythophthora attacks. Disease prevention is especially important for MD2 pineapple growers as MD2 is more easily infected compared to other varieties.

Sunburned pineapple fruits

What is pineapple sunburn?

Pineapple sunburn is a physiological condition caused by prolonged overexposure to high heat and intense light. This usually occurs in regions which receive more sunlight and hot weather. Sunburn symptoms usually begin when environmental temperatures exceed 32°C.

Signs and symptoms:

1. External symptoms: Yellow patches appear on the peel where they are exposed to sun and heat. Symptoms worsen until the entire skin yellows, leading to necrotic areas and fruit cracking, exposing the pineapples to infection.

2. Internal symptoms: Sunburned flesh is translucent and water-soaked, which also softens and cracks as cell walls weaken and cell contents leak.

Figure 3: Symptoms of pineapple sunburn: peel yellowing and cracking (1); translucent and darkening flesh (2).  

Prevention methods:

Pineapple sunburn can be prevented by alleviating the physiological stress response of the pineapple and minimizing the physical effects of heat stress.

Seaweed extract is one of the most effective biostimulants to overcome heat stress. They naturally contain high levels of bioactive compounds, plant hormones and antioxidants, which help plants regulate stress hormones better. Chloroplasts are also protected from oxidative damage, preventing the skin from yellowing easily.

The physical effects of heat stress — fruit darkening, cracking and softening — can be prevented by strengthening the cell walls so they do not break easily. Calcium and boron both link together within the cell wall matrix to form a tougher and more stable structure, providing rigidity and strength to prevent cell content leakage, and ensuring the pineapple flesh does not crack or soften even in high heat.

If you're looking for seaweed extracts or calcium boron fertilizers, AgroBridge's WUXAL Ascofol CaB is an excellent choice for supplying both. This product contains Ascophyllum nodosum extract, which is widely used for plant heat stress relief. Formulated with 21% Calcium and 1.26% Boron, WUXAL Ascofol CaB protects your pineapples from the effects of sunburn, ensuring your fruits stay firm and intact during hot weather.

Low pineapple grade

In Malaysia, pineapples are graded into different levels of quality according to the grading system set by Lembaga Perindustrian Nanas Malaysia (LPNM) & Lembaga Pemasaran Pertanian Persekutuan (FAMA). These standards include areas such as size, uniformity, taste (total soluble solids), freshness, maturity, and presence of defects. Getting a high grade usually means your pineapples can be sold for a better price.

Malaysian pineapple grading minimum requirements

(Please refer to FAMA’s official grading specifications for full definitions and requirements, available at their official government portal.)

Potassium boosts pineapple sweetness and quality

Your pineapples may be getting a low fruit grade because you don’t meet the ^oBrix requirements. In other words, your pineapples are not sweet enough. This usually indicates inadequate potassium nutrition. Potassium makes pineapple fruits heavier, taste sweeter, smell better, and improves fruit and peel colour. Hence, it is essential to apply a fertilizer that’s high in potassium during the fruiting stage, such as AgroBridge's WUXAL K40. Formulated with 40% potassium and other nutrients to boost fruit quality, WUXAL K40 is a powerful fruit quality booster that shows effects quickly.

Figure 4: Comparison of pineapple applied with WUXAL Boron (1) and pineapple without WUXAL Boron (2). 

Boron controls size and shape uniformity:

Are your pineapples misshapen or too small? Boron reduces fruit deformity, improves size evenness and makes sure they ripen at the same time, helping your pineapples get a better grade. Boron also ensures that your pineapples stay firm and fresh during storage, giving them a longer shelf life. Since boron is easily leached from the soil, boron foliar fertilizers such as AgroBridge's WUXAL Boron is a great choice to make sure your pineapples receive adequate boron. In addition to 9.6% boron within the formulation, it also contains 11% N and 13.8% P to improve flowering rates and fruit set.

Pineapple cultivation in Malaysia is full of challenges. You may not be able to completely stop issues such as pineapple heart rot, sunburn or poor quality fruits from happening. However, these problems can be minimized by using targeted and effective nutrient delivery to keep your plants ready against these threats before they become costly problems.

By partnering with AgroBridge, you'll not only get our full range of nutritional solutions, but also outstanding service from our technical team to support you in your planting journey.

Interested in improving your pineapple yield and grade? Get in touch with us here

References

Shah, M.F. (2025) ‘Pineapples go from field to fortune ’, The Star, 28 June. Available at: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2025/06/28/pineapples-go-from-field-to-fortune (Accessed: 28 July 2025).